


What Doesn't Kill Me Doesn't Make Me Stronger

by soft_bucky



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Anne Cox - Freeform, But they make each other alright, Disabilities, Harry Styles - Freeform, Harry is cheery, Jay Tomlinson - Freeform, Liam is mentioned, Louis Tomlinson - Freeform, Louis is a bit cynical, M/M, Mention of Ziam, One Shot, They both have brief appearances, Tomlinson Family, Zayn is mentioned, larry stylinson - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-21
Updated: 2013-04-21
Packaged: 2017-12-09 02:00:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/768669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soft_bucky/pseuds/soft_bucky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Styles is in a car accident and ends up disabled. He has to go to a treatment center to get his prosthetic leg and learn to walk on it. Louis Tomlinson is in a car accident because he got in the car with his drunk friend and said friend crashed the car. He came out almost completely unscathed except for a broken leg and being around 95% blind. He is sent to a treatment center to learn how to do things and cope with his disability. He meets Harry and you know the rest....</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Doesn't Kill Me Doesn't Make Me Stronger

**Author's Note:**

> I'm proud of this one. It's my longest original idea one shot so far. Check out my other things. Tumblr is bromances-all-the-way.tumblr.com

“Mum I’ll be fine.” Harry reassures his mother who was worried sick about her precious baby boy. Especially after the accident.

“You know I worry. Especially after what happened. That is the whole reason we’re driving here.” She says earnestly, looking out the side of her eye at her nineteen year old son.

“I’m pretty sure I won’t lose anymore limbs in a rehabilitation center mum.” Harry groans with his bottom lip sticking out a little, after he finishes talking.

When the next light turns red, Anne turns in her seat and offers her son a smile. “I know. But I’m your mum and I have a right to worry.” Harry grins back at her and when the color changes, the woman continues onward.

\--

“You need help?” Louis’ mum asks him as they walk to the car.

“No.” But when he trips (only slightly,) that doesn’t help his case.

His mum puts a hand on his forearm although he can barely see it; just a faint blob, he knows it’s her.

He pulls away. “I said I don’t need help. After all, that’s why we’re going to this stupid place right? So I can learn how to deal with life being mostly blind?” He spits resentfully.

When the twenty year old’s hand finds the door handle with a small amount of fumbling on his part, he sits in the back seat and waits as his sisters and mum pile into the car. When the vehicle begins to move, a small hand grabs one of his and he looks in the direction of the occupant.

“Are you okay?” Daisy asks softly.

He smiles down at her. “Yeah I’m fine. Just a bit mad is all.” He doesn’t add the fact that he’s mad at the world and definitely bitter about his new situation and having to adjust to doing everything differently from now on.

~o~

When the building comes into view and the SUV parks in the car park, Harry opens his door and swivels around in his seat so his legs are off to the side. His mum comes around to his side with his wheelchair and he drops himself into the seat without her help. He hated the stupid device but the main reason he was here was to get his prosthetic leg and learn how to walk on it and be coordinated again. So he has to settle with this until that happens.

He wheels himself through the automatic sliding doors with his mum behind him with his two suitcases rolling along on the black gravely asphalt.

She walks up to the front desk where Harry is at and checks her son into the facility. She lowers her face so she’s on his level.

“I’ll see you next weekend okay? They have a visitors day every weekend.” Anne smiles.

“Alright. I’ll see you then. Bye mum.”

She envelops the green eyed boy in a hug and he wraps his arms around her waist until she’s ready to let go. When she walks out the automatic doors, a nurse Harry presumes says “I’ll show you to your room Mr. Styles.” He shrugs and follows her. With his arms/hands being occupied, she rolls his suitcase down the hall and into the elevator that takes them to the third floor.

She slides a keycard before handing it to him.

“This is where you’ll be staying for the next two months or so. Depending on how long you take in recovery. There are a few rules here. No alcoholic drinks. If you smoke, do it outside the facility, no illegal substances, no one of the opposite sex in your room past curfew, and mandatory group therapy twice a week. Where everyone just talks about how they’re dealing with whatever they’re dealing with. That’s it. Dinner is at six.” She informs him kindly before gently shutting the door when she leaves.

Harry doesn’t know how he’s going to survive without any alcohol for more than a month. There is a cork board hanging by his bed with fliers and little pamphlets. After stretching and managing to pull the board down, he deems most of the information useless and puts them on the chest of drawers.

He’s bored and doesn’t know what to do, but remembers seeing a recreational room so he wheels back out of his room, into the elevator, and to the first floor. At the end of the hallway is the spacious white room lit with fluorescent lighting with two pool tables, a t.v. and other game stuff. They took Harry’s phone when he got here.

_“Cell phones are not allowed here. Sometimes people want to use them to get their vices into the facility or get help getting out.” Nurse lady informs him._

\--

When his mum pulls into the car park, Louis steps out of the van without help that he didn’t want. He wanted to do as much as possible without anyone helping him. Try to make things as normal as possible. They do pull along his suitcases for him though and when he reaches out for a door handle, his hand meets air. His face turns to one of confusion and his mum says “It’s automatic honey.”

Oh right. He blushes in embarrassment and continues walking until his mum grabs his hand and pulls him to what he assumes to be the front desk. He pulls it away in embarrassment. A smaller hand is tugging on his larger one and he looks down.

This time it’s Phoebe that asks him why he’s not being nice to mum.

“It’s alright. I just don’t want help. See? I just want to do things for myself.”

After they say goodbye and Louis is left alone, a nurse takes his things and he follows her to the elevator. She takes him to his room which is on the second floor and hands him a manual key.

“The other doors have keycards but yours would be easier with the manual.” She smiles although he can’t see. Louis wants to argue but if one thing is easier then he can deal with that.

When the woman leaves him in his room and he’s beyond bored, he walks to the elevator and presses the ground floor button (thanks to the single braille dot on the rounded disk.) Louis can’t read braille yet but knows one dot means one. At the front desk, he asks if there is anything for him to do and a man takes him to the recreational room. He sits in a seat and just looks around the room bored.

~o~

The only other person here was a boy who wasn’t really doing much of anything. Talking to him seemed like the most interesting option so he wheels over until his head looks at Harry; noticing someone was approaching. Or near him really since he wasn’t looking directly at the green eyed boy.

“Hello?”

“Hi. Can I join you?” Harry asks.

“Yeah sure.” Harry pushes one of the chairs out of the way and sits next to him.

A few minutes of uncomfortable silence pass before the boy next to him speaks. “So how come you pushed the chair out of the way?” He turns towards Harry but doesn’t look in his eyes he notices.

“I’m in a wheelchair cause of a car accident. Some prick wasn’t looking where he was going and smashed into the side of my car. Part of my leg didn’t make it.” Harry scoffs. “That’s why I’m here. But I’m gonna get a prosthetic leg soon.” Harry answers honestly.

“Why do you not look directly at me when you talk?” Harry asks in return.

“My friend was shitfaced but I got in the car with him anyways since I was too and he drove the car into a tree and flipped. He died on contact. I was fine except for a broken leg and now I’m almost blind. I can see shadows and blobs but that’s it. Have to learn how to adjust here before I go.” Harry notices his face arranges into a scowl.

“So what are you gonna do?” Harry questions.

“You have a lot of questions.”

“Harry. I’m Harry.” He introduces with a smile.

“I’m Louis. But yeah you have a lot of questions.” He smiles back.

“That doesn’t answer my question.” He smirks.

“I’m gonna sit here and be bored out of my mind since I can’t see anything to entertain me.” He frowns again.

“Turn that frown upside down. Talk to me. I’m interesting.”

“I can tell.” Louis rolls his eyes in amusement.

They spend their free time talking to each other. At dinner they mutually agree to sit with each other.

About a third way through, a blonde kid who they learn is Niall comes and asks to sit. Harry pats the table next to him and the boy shyly smiles and sits.

There wasn’t anything physically wrong with him so Harry wondered why he was here.

He asks him and Niall says “I have an eating disorder. My parents think sending me here will make thinks better.” His lips quirk into a leer and Harry knows that it’s now best to leave the subject alone.

“So you know we have to have group therapy?” Harry says to the two at his table.

Niall nods and Louis frowns. “That’s bullshit.”

“I know. Twice a week too.” Niall adds in.

“This is a load of bollocks. I seriously dislike this place.” Louis seethes.

Harry does have to agree with the disliking group therapy. Although Louis is more angry/bitter about it than Harry is. He’ll have to talk to him later.

~o~

“So Zayn, why don’t you go first?” Megan the leader offers. Really, she did nothing except watch over the group and prompt things to keep going every now and then.

He looks at her and rolls his eyes. “I’m Zayn.”

“And say why you’re here…” Megan says in the tone someone uses when asking a child what they are apologizing for.

“Is this going to be some shit like an A.A. meeting or something?” He groans.

She doesn’t answer. “Fine. I’m here because I’m an alcoholic. Can we move on now?” He asks indifferently.

Megan looks annoyed but mostly tired and moves on to the kid next to him who was holding Zayn’s right hand with his left.

“Yeah. Um, I’m Liam. And I’m here for being gay.” He shrugs.

“Your parents sent you here for depression.” Megan notes.

“They just don’t like the fact that I like guys. So they sent me here to get out of their hair for a bit. But didn’t work very well.” He smirks and most if not all the people in the room now know about him and Zayn from that hint. And the hand holding.

“Very well. Uh Neil?”

“ _Niall._ As in the river. As in you’re in denial if you think that any of us are going to share more than necessary and will actually like this.”

“So you want me to say why I’m here?” He asks arching an eyebrow at her.

Louis couldn’t see his expression, but was quietly snickering. Megan frowns and says “Yes  _Niall._ I would.”

“Okay. I have an eating disorder. There. Moving on.”

From the look on her face, Harry has a strong feeling that she doesn’t like this group very much.

Louis is next in the circle. “Louis. Your turn.” Harry whispers in his ear.

He rolls his eyes but speaks anyway. They’re pretty much a whole group of teenagers with attitudes.

“Yeah I’m Louis. Now I’m like 95% blind cause of a car accident. I don’t want to talk so can we move on?”

Megan nods. “I’m Harry. I was in a car accident. So from the knee down on my right leg was amputated and I’m getting my prosthetic one here so I can use it correctly. Erm yeah.” He finishes awkwardly.

Megan tries to get them to talk but no one gives much information. At one point she says to say some things about themselves and they all say things that aren’t important or are blatantly obvious.

Harry says he has green eyes, Louis says he’s mostly blind, Zayn says his favorite drink is a vodka tonic, Niall says he doesn’t like food very much, and Liam says he’s from Wolverhampton.

Group sessions are going to be fun.

~o~

“Hey Louis?” Harry asks when he’s inside his room before curfew.

“Yeah?” He looks over to Harry and Harry hits pause on the movie they were watching.

_“Just cause I can’t see the movie doesn’t mean I can’t watch one. Hurry up and pick. I hope you don’t move as slow as you talk.” The older man teases._

“Can I ask you something and you won’t get annoyed?”

“Yeah. What is it?”

“How come you’re mad most of the time?” Harry questions.

“Cause I am.” He shrugs.

“But why?”

Louis turns over on his side and looks at Harry’s face. He gets a general idea of where it is.

“Cause I’m mad at the world. I’m mad about being stupid enough to get in a car with my drunk friend. I’m mad about my sight being taken away. I’m mad about not being able to see things I used to see every day.” A sigh escapes his lips.

“You shouldn’t be.” Harry says simply.

A look of confusion crosses Louis’ face and Harry elaborates.

“You shouldn’t be mad. I lost half of a leg but while I’m not happy about it, I’m not resentful either.”

“Yeah well, you at least get some normalcy back in your life. The doctors told me there is no chance of me ever being able to see again in my life. And I have to change so many things from what I used to do and have to adapt. And I don’t really think it’s fair.”

“Hakuna Matata.”

Louis smiles. “You seriously just quoted The Lion King? I can not believe you.” He laughs.

“It means no worries! For the rest of your daaaaays!” Harry sings loudly with a bright smile.

Louis’ laughs continue. “It’s our problem freeee! Philosophy! Hakuna Matata!” They harmonize with each other.

“I am so done.” Louis giggles. “How about we watch that instead? I’m suddenly in the mood for some Simone and Pumba.”

~o~

“Okay so the wires in the connector will react to your nerves even though they aren’t physically connected. Try making the motion of bending your knee.” The doctor instructs a month later.

The prosthetic leg looked exactly like a real one except there was a barely there plastic looking shine to it.  And it attaches to the rest of Harry’s leg by this metal holder encompassed by a thin coating thing that looks like skin except it felt like silicone.

Harry thinks about moving his knee in a kick and the leg does that. He brightly smiles.

“That’s great. We’ll do a few more things and we’ll get you walking on it tomorrow hopefully since I know how excited you are.” The doctor speaks kindly.

Harry nods and they continue working with the device until it’s time for lunch and he wheels off with a goodbye.

~o~

The next day at lunch; when Harry is allowed to walk on his leg for a few hours, he grabs his tray from the lunch line and sits at the table Louis and Niall were sitting at. Niall see’s Harry and is about to say something, but the curly haired boy shakes his head with a smirk and Niall nods with a smile before continuing to talk to Louis.

First Harry sets the tray down quietly. Then he sneaks behind the twenty year old and wraps his arms tightly around his waist.

Louis jumps from being startled and elbows the nineteen year old in the crotch, hard. Harry puts his hands to the area, groans, and waddles to his seat.

“Jesus Christ Lou. Was just trying to scare you.” Harry gripes at his seat; voice higher pitched than usual.

Louis reaches out and puts his hand in Harry’s hair to get a feel of who was talking to him since he knew it wasn’t Niall. His fingers grip a lose ringlet and he disentangles his hand from the brown hair.

“Harry?” He asks unsure.

“Yeah. Although you might want to call me Harriet now with how bad off my balls are.” Niall laughs loudly at this and Harry scowls at him.

“Sorry. But to be fair, you do not sneak up on a blind person.” Louis smirks.

He’s not as angry about things. Still really bitter and peeved about it, but better than what it was when he first got here.

“Wait. You didn’t have a chair. Why? What’s going on?” Confusion radiating off of every inch of his body.

“I get to walk on my prosthetic leg for an hour today. Then work my way up until I can do it all the time.” Harry grins.

“That’s great Haz. Really great news.” Louis encourages.

Harry gets up to throw their trash away and to take their trays back to the line and to get a drink of water from the fountain. Any excuse to get up and walk. The first time he tried it, it was almost like the scene in Bambi where Bambi was learning to walk and she kept fumbling. At least that’s what it felt like to Harry because it was incredibly wobbly after not walking very much if at all for six months. Plus he had to learn how to use it right and not make jerky movements.

But that was completely alright with him. However long it takes.

~o~

Two weeks later, Louis is on his way to his room and Harry is quietly following. Louis doesn’t know he’s behind him so Harry has the element of surprise. Right before he gets his key in the door, Harry kisses Louis. Louis doesn’t know it’s him, so he pushes him away with a lot of force but Harry grabs Louis’ hand, puts it in his hair and Louis smiles before they go back to kissing.

~o~

Three weeks later, Jay comes with her daughters to see her son on visiting day. When they tell her where he is, she walks to the activity room and smiles at the sight she sees. Her son and the boy she learned is his boyfriend were sitting in chairs facing each other with Louis animatedly talking, hand gestures and all, not looking at Harry (slightly above his head) and the green eyed one listening intently with a adoring look in his eyes. She takes it that they’re in their “honey moon phase of the relationship.”

Peace is soon interrupted because the four girls run over to their older brother and envelop him in a large group hug. After he gets over their element of surprise, he smiles fondly and gathers what he can of them into his arms and squeezes tightly. Harry watches with a small smile on his face from the sidelines.

“Harry, can I talk to you?” Jay asks politely.

He nods and walks behind her over to the hall that she entered from. He’s got the use of his leg pretty much down. Every now and then he gets tired though so he uses his chair in those moments.

“Did I do something?” Harry asks curiously.

“Oh no dear. Not at all. I just wanted to say thank you.” She smiles.

“Why?”

“Because when Louis first came here, he wasn’t exactly the happiest camper. But I noticed that when you two met, he was a little better and now that you’re dating, he’s great. I know he has his off days, but he has you.” She tells him honestly.

Harry blushes and says thanks. Louis’ mum hugs him with one of those pats on the back and they go back into the room where the family was catching up.

When visiting time was nearing an end and Anne had come and gone, Jay says to the girls “Why don’t you all entertain Harry for a bit? I have to talk to your brother in private.” They eagerly comply, glad to have more attention and Louis follows his mother’s footsteps to the hallway.

“While you were here, I did some more research at multiple doctors and there is a surgery that could possibly improve your sight. I know before they said that there isn’t a chance, but eventually I found a doctor who knows of a new procedure that could help. Would you want to do it?” Jay wants to be sure if he wants to do it. She thinks he’ll say yes, but you know consent and all that stuff.

Louis throws his arms around her neck and hugs tightly.

“Yes, of course! That’s great! Thanks mum.”

She laughs and pulls away as a kiss is left on his cheek. “You don’t have to thank me. I know how much this means to you.”

He thanks her again, kisses her on the cheek, and rushes back to the room running on excitement. The twenty year old almost trips, but Harry gets up and catches his arm before he falls face first to the floor. He looks up with a pink blush across his cheeks and says thanks.

Louis waits until his family is gone to tell his boyfriend the news.

“Oh that’s great babe! That’s why you were more clumsy than usual earlier?” Harry smirks.

“Oi shut it. I’m excited. If it works, I can actually see things again and truly appreciate it and finally see what you look like.” He absently smiles.

Harry opens his mouth but Louis continues. “And I know you, so you’re going to say something like you’ve described yourself. I know that you’ve described yourself, but it’s not the same as actually seeing you.”

“But what if you see me and then you don’t want to be with me anymore? I’m younger than you, I’ve just grown out of my baby face, and constantly get at least three zits a week.” Harry blushes.

Louis takes his face in his hands and kisses him briefly on the lips.

“I don’t care. I like you for you and I would have liked you the same way even if I could see. And I like the way your face feels so I think I’ll like the way you look too.” He white teeth are on display with the smile that he’s gracing Harry with.

“Okay.” Harry responds. Louis can feel the indentation of his left dimple, so he knows what he said worked.

~o~

Another month passes and Harry is he first to be allowed to leave. He’s made all his progress and his stay is up. Over the couple months here, he’s gained Niall as a friend and Liam and Zayn as acquaintances. They say occasional hello’s and talk every now and then. And of course his boyfriend. The best thing other than getting his leg to happen to him here.

“You only have like a week and a half left, okay? That’s still one more visiting day so I’ll see you then. Then when you get out, I’ll see you cause Jay is probably going to bring me.” Harry says as they embrace for the last time for about a week.

“Yeah. But I got so used to having you here. I’ll miss you.” Louis sniffs.

“We live about an hour and fifteen minutes away from each other. Give or take a few minutes. I can come up as much as I like and visit. Don’t frown.” Harry attempts to say cheerily.

“I feel like such a girl. Getting sad over not seeing you for a week.” He weakly laughs.

“If it makes you feel better I’m sad too. See?” Harry raises Louis’ right hand from where he was holding it in his palms and his fingertips touch his cheek lightly. There’s a barely there, almost un-noticeable dampness to it from a couple tears that fell.

Louis smiles and stands on his toes for a kiss.

“Bye Lou.” Harry says softly.

“Bye.” Then Harry walks down the hall, through the sliding doors and starts back home with his mum.

Before he left, he made sure to get all four boys’ numbers.

~o~

A knock comes from the door downstairs and Louis hears him mum yell that she’ll get it. After he can hear some excited talking from his sisters, his door creaks as it opens and he turns towards the sound.

“Hey Lou.” Harry says softly.

“Hi. Come ‘ere.” Louis pats the spot in the bed next to him.

He hears the bed creak next to him and he turns over and puts his arms around his boyfriends waist.

“So are you excited?” Harry asks in his ear.

Louis has his face in his neck at the moment.

“Yeah. But I’m not really feeling much at the moment. ‘M not supposed to eat the day before like for every operation. But I’m hungry. And bored. And only kinda tired.” Harry hears being mumbled into his neck.

Louis shifts and Harry kisses his lips which Louis smiles at.

“So what time is it?”

Harry turns his head and looks at the clock that is on the side of the older man’s nightstand.

“Mmm, 5 Pm.”

“Are you gonna stay a while?” Louis whispers.

“Yeah.” Harry could tell Louis was going to go back to sleep soon, so they continue talking until he notices that Louis stops talking.

He smiles, kisses him quickly on the lips and goes back downstairs. Harry’s going with him to his operation tomorrow so he figures he might as well stay the night.

Around two hours later, Louis stumbles downstairs after waking up when he smells dinner. Louis’ mum smiles when she sees him sit next to Harry and him putting his arm around her son’s shoulder’s.

\--

“He’s waking up.” Louis notices someone say.

The man groans and opens his eyes but can see absolutely nothing. He feels something covering them up and reaches for it, but a large hand grabs his wrist gently.

“Can’t take that off babe. They’re to protect your eyes and let them heal.” Harry tells him gently.

He sighs and puts his arm down.

“How you feeling?” Jay asks softly.

“Groggy and tired. Annoyed cause of these eye things.” Her son grumbles.

“How about you get some sleep and we’ll be back later.” She proposes.

Louis wants to protest but sleep sounds really good at the moment so he nods. His fringe is pushed back by Jay and a kiss is left to his cheek by Harry.

\--

A week later, Louis is sitting in an examining room bouncing his leg up and down in nervousness and excitement. He was going to get those bandage things off today and hopefully be able to see again.

His mum is holding one hand that he’s squeezing just out the eager feelings he has and Harry is standing next to him with a smile.

The doctor removes the medical tape on the right eye and pulls the pad off then does the same to the right.

“Now I want you to open your eyes for me and blink slowly, okay?” The doctor asks.

Louis opens his eyes and does exactly what the man said, but his vision is exactly the same. Everything is colorless and faint outlines of stuff.

“What do you see?” The man prompts.

“Nothing. I can see absolutely nothing.” He says blankly.

Dr. Rodriguez says that happens often and it might not work the first time but that shouldn’t let that discourage them. Sometimes you need multiple surgeries.

Jay notices that Louis pulls his hand out of her grip and has a deep frown set on his face. Harry is looking down at him with a small frown on his lips too. He can tell how upset by this his boyfriend is. Anyone who was looking at him at the moment could.

They leave with a thanks muttered by Louis’ mum and get in the car. In the back seat, Harry reaches for Louis’ hand, but he gently pulls away and rests his head on the window with his eyes closed.

~o~

“Can I come over?” Harry speaks into his phone.

“I don’t think you should Harry. I’m sorry. He doesn’t really want to see anyone.” Jay says sadly.

The only times she’s seen her son this past week was when she brought up his food when he felt like eating or when he left his room to go to the bathroom. Other than that, he hasn’t left his bedroom.

“Well I’m his boyfriend and I’m coming. I haven’t seen him since the doctor’s and I do miss ‘im, you know?”

“Alright.” Jay says simply before hanging up.

Harry smiles and sticks his phone in his pocket. He goes upstairs without his mum’s help and changes clothes and puts on his leg. As soon as he’s done and looks presentable, he grabs his keys and leaves the house with a goodbye to Anne.

After an hour and twenty minute drive, Harry reaches the Tomlinson household. Jay opens the door with a sad smile on her face and welcomes him inside. After a short hello, he goes upstairs into Louis’ room. He’s huddled under the covers in a ball, facing the wall opposite to Harry.

“What mum?” He asks hoarsely.

Harry closes the door and says “It’s not your mum.”

“Harry I don’t want you here. I’m sorry but not now.” He says quietly.

Harry crosses the room and gets into bed with him. Louis’ eyes are red and he immediately cuddles closer to Harry. Harry puts his arms around him in a makeshift hug.

“Oh Lou.”

“Don’t start with your pity. I don’t want that. I just want to be alone.” He frowns and begins to pull away.

“I’m not pitying you. Just, don’t get so distant cause I missed you.”

“’M sorry. I just- I’m fucking upset about it. I mean my hopes were up but it’s just depressing.” Louis mumbles into Harry’s chest feeling tears prick his eyes again.

“It’s gonna be alright. We’ll be alright. But you can’t keep moping. So clean yourself up and we’ll go do something fun. Or go see your mum since she’s barely seen you in the past week.” Louis feels a little guilty.

He nods and they pull apart. Harry walks to the door to give his boyfriend some privacy and says “Love you.”

Louis smiles at him and says “Love you too.”

~o~  
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Harry asks Louis as they’re sitting on the couch in their flat a year later with the twenty one year old tucked into the twenty year old’s side as they looked at the telly but weren’t paying much attention.

“Yeah. But I’m not excited. Bet it’s gonna turn out like last time. I’ll still be blind and disappointed.” Louis shrugs.

“Louis.” Harry says flatly.

“What? Better I accept it now and not be depressed like last year. I’m only trying this second operation for my mum cause she said ‘It takes at least two of them to work. And try it, for me?’ What am I supposed to say to that? ‘Oh I’m not sure about that because I’ve accepted that I’ll probably be blind forever?’ I don’t think so.” Louis argues.

“But don’t be so cynical about things. You never know.” Harry says, being the optimistic person he is.

“I thought you knew by now that I tend to be cynical quite often. Probably figured that out when you met me.” The blue eyed man rolls them at his boyfriend.

Harry doesn’t answer and when Louis senses his mood, which he has been able to do for about a year now with anyone (another thing that he learned to do when being blind,) he turns his head and kisses Harry lightly on his cheek without much need to find the spot.

\--

He goes through the same operation as last time and goes through the experience of having the bandages taken off a week later again. It’s the same incident as last time. At first his vision is completely black and then he only gets a vague barely there sense of light and faint blobs/outlines for bigger items.

Harry drives them home and Louis says he’s going to go to sleep.

“It’s not going to be the same thing as last time, is it?” Harry asks worriedly.

“No. Jesus Harry. Can’t I want some sleep? You already help me enough as it is. I don’t need you telling me when I can go to bed.” Louis snaps as he walks down the hall to their room by memory and shuts the door quietly; just barely managing to not slam it.

~o~

“Harry. I don’t want to do this.” The twenty two year old refuses.

“Baby, it’s a completely different surgery. It’s not the same thing as the other two. I looked up stuff about it and there’s a higher success rate.” The twenty one year old man says knowledgably.

“There’s still an un-successful rate. I don’t want to be a part of that. And I thought you were fine with me not being able to see. So what? Are you like tired of me or something? Tired of being with the guy who’s almost completely blind?” He crosses his arms over his chest and narrows his eyes at Harry who was currently sitting in his wheelchair seeing as he wasn’t wearing his leg. There wasn’t much need when it was just the two of them.

“No, God no. I love you no matter what. I was just thinking that you should try this since the other’s didn’t work out too well. And if it doesn’t work then you won’t ever have to try another surgery again.” He backtracks his error and explains.

Louis looks to be in thought for a couple minutes and Harry leaves him be.

“You love guilt tripping me, don’t you?” This time, the right corner of his lips is tugging upwards.

“Not at all the case.” Harry says truthfully.

“But what if it doesn’t work? I can’t take another failed one of these. I really mean it.” Tears rim his eyes and his boyfriend tugs his hand to pull him closer and gathers him in a hug.

“I’ll be with you through it. Whatever happens I’ll be here. If you want to be coddled and extremely cuddly, I’ll be the cuddler or if you want some space, I’ll leave you alone for a reasonable amount of time. I told you I love you and nothing about that is going to change.”

Louis looks at his face with a smile and kisses him deeply.

“I love you. You know that?” He questions rhetorically when they part.

A almost breathless laugh escapes the younger man’s lips. “I know.”

\--

Three weeks later, Louis is in another examining room (because of Harry) and is getting his bandages off. The instructions are the same as the other two times.  _“Open your eyes. Blink slowly.”_ Etc., etc.

When he does it, at first his vision is black and then slowly fades in like usual with almost complete darkness and blobs. He almost gets to a place beyond disappointment, but then those smooth out and a little more light is absorbed in and the edges of things get a little sharper. He can begin to see color; something he hasn’t caught a glimpse of in over two years. He looks down at the floor and see’s blurry tile. He waits a bit longer until it looks completely normal.

A grin that looks like it could split his face in half graces his lips and he looks up. The doctor in front of him has brown hair and kind hazel eyes.

He looks over and can see a tall lithe figure looking at him with curiosity in his eyes. He has dark brown curls the color of dark chocolate, light green eyes peering at the older man intently, and pale, soft looking skin. He has strong looking biceps that are clad in a black tee shirt and a angular jaw line. But the man still has some sort of child like look to him. Louis knows who that is immediately and surges forward to capture his lips against his. He eagerly reciprocates the gesture.

“So I take it as the operation worked?” The doctor questions.

Louis pulls away still smiling and says “Yeah. I have a headache though.”

“That’s to be expected. You can take some Aspirin to help cause your eyes haven’t seen a real amount of light in over two years so they’re sensitive. Anything else?”

“Not at all.” Harry holds his hand and he squeezes back tightly.

“Okay you’re free to go then.” He smiles once more and Louis hops down from the examining bed things they use in doctor’s offices with Harry following.

In the car, Louis keeps looking out the window and anything he can get his eyes on. Especially Harry.

“Wow.” Louis says in shock as he looks around their flat for the first time. Harry smiles and looks down at his boyfriend.

“You’re tall.” Harry blushes.

“Not that much.” He shrugs.

“You know that day when you were worried that I wouldn’t like you if I could see you?” Louis asks.

“Yeah?”

“Well you were wrong. You’re incredibly good looking. I’d still love you even if you weren’t though.” Louis says.

“You’re so cheesy.” He blushes with a warmhearted smile.

“I’m happy is what I am. And it’s the truth.”

“I love you, you know that?” Harry quotes what Louis said a few weeks earlier as he wraps his arms around his waist.

“So I’ve heard.” He smirks before they kiss for what seems like the millionth time that day.


End file.
